Sharks snap out of skid

Despite a three-game losing streak and a power play that has been struggling lately, the San Jose Sharks didn't panic when they fell behind by two goals against the struggling Washington Capitals.

Joe Pavelski and Jonathan Cheechoo scored in the shootout to lift San Jose to a 3-2 victory last night in Washington, giving the Sharks their 10th straight win against the Capitals.

Patrick Rissmiller and Matthew Carle scored in regulation and Evgeni Nabokov stopped 24 shots for San Jose. The Sharks, boasting the league's best power play, were 4 for 31 on the man advantage during their previous eight games.

Shaone Morrisonn and Brian Sutherby scored for the Capitals, who have not beaten the Sharks since Feb. 20, 1999. Washington has dropped five straight overall and fell to 1-8 in shootouts.

"They have a pretty skilled group out there, but every team has a skilled group," Nabokov said. "With the shootout, you're always rolling the dice."

Matt Pettinger scored in the shootout for Washington, but Nabokov denied Alex Ovechkin on a stick save in front and Alexander Semin on a move to the right post. Cheechoo then ended the shootout with a backhander past Brent Johnson at the left post.

Ovechkin, mired in a career-worst scoring slump -- one goal in nine games -- wasn't really surprised that Nabokov challenged him. The goalie's poke check left the puck in front of the crease as Ovechkin skated harmlessly by.

"He knows me," Ovechkin said of Nabokov. "I thought he come too high. I tried to do some move, but the stick come to me and he saved the puck."

Red Wings 4, Blackhawks 2 -- Henrik Zetterberg scored the tiebreaking goal with 6:22 left, and Detroit got its 13th consecutive home win, moving within one of the franchise record set in 1964-65.

Zetterberg added an empty-netter, and Pavel Datsyuk and Kris Draper also scored for the Red Wings.

Radim Vrbata and Bryan Smolinski scored for Chicago, and Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 31 shots.